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The Barnhardt Student Activity Center served as a microcosm of diversity on Saturday, Sept. 27 as it housed many cultures -- each with its own reasons for attending the 28th annual International Festival.
For Travis White, a sophomore chemistry major, his purpose was to break down barriers and misconceptions.
White and fellow UNC Charlotte Native American Student Organization members sponsored a booth representing their culture.
"We want to bring awareness that Native Americans are still a part of society by sharing our culture and learning about others," he said.
Unlike many of the organizations with booth space, the Native American Student Organization was not selling anything, but merely passing fliers promoting their organization and talking to festival-goers about their culture.
The group puts on a regular arts and crafts night and visits various Native American landmarks around North Carolina.
"The misconception is that everyone lives in a reservation or teepees, and we talk in grunts," said White.
Shideh Sarmadi, a UNCC alumni working at the Iran booth, understands a thing or two about such stereotypes.
"I'm sure there are misconceptions about our culture, especially what the TV and media present to the public," said Sarmadi, who was attending her fourth International Festival. "I guess the political aspects just kind of override our beautiful culture."
At a table decorated with Persian rugs, Sarmadi was one of the many hand writers at the festival who penned children's names in her native language.
The colorful garments worn by Tonieh Ross, who manned the Liberia booth, also drew many patrons who were interested in cultural artifacts to her table.
Ross used the table to gain support for Liberians at war.
"Because the war has been so important and in the news, we're stressing for the people to pray for our country which continues to fight," she said. "Many of us have lost our immediate family in the war, so I'm telling people about those kinds of things."
The table also featured students from the Liberian Student Association. Shem Logan, a senior English major and president of the student group, said the club has 250 registered members.
"We assist students who are in need financially, morally and religiously," said Logan.
Antonio Rocha, a senior mechanical engineering major, held a booth to gain a similar unity that Logan and his Liberian Student Association now employ.
Rocha and his friends are trying to launch a UNCC Luso-Brazilian Student Organization, a group that would celebrate cultures of Portuguese-speaking countries such as Brazil, Portugal and Angola.
"The Portuguese-speaking community here is very small," said Rocha. "International students who come here have a hard time and feel homesick."
Rocha would like to have members network to discuss common interests such as music.
Waleed Jad, a freshman accounting major representing Saudi Arabia, said there aren't many students representing his culture at UNCC, but he participated in I-Fest in order to serve as a source of information.
"We are just showing our customs to people who don't know what we are about," he said.
Several groups were on hand not representing individual countries, but promoting international goodwill.
The UNCC chapter of Model UN featured a "flags of the world" memory game to cater to the many children attending the festival.
"We're telling everyone about the United Nations because a number of kids and surprisingly a number of adults don't know even know what the United Nations is or what it does," said Elizabeth Kayed, a junior political science and communications double major.
The table has historically been a source for recruitment for the award-winning organization.
The group's current president initially joined the group through the table at last year's International Festival, according to Kayed.
Other organizations present at the festival included the local Peace Corps chapter and International House, a clearance house for international information in the Charlotte area.
David Stewart, of International House, attended the festival for the first time and left surprised.
"I thought it was going to be kind of a lazy afternoon, maybe chatting every 10 minutes or so and answering a few questions, but it has been a mob scene," he said.
The organization took advantage of the festival's Passport Project, an annual feature of the festival where children are invited to visit each booth to fill their pretend passports with stickers of different flags of the world.
The International House booth made children answer world geography questions before they were handed passport stickers.
"We're kind of like the annoying house on the block that makes you sing for your Halloween candy on Trick or Treat night," said Stewart.
